PracticePro

Date: Friday, March 24, 2025, 11 – 7:30 PM CT

Location: Jackson Walker LLP, 100 Congress Ave. STE 1100, Austin, TX 78701

Do you want to gain the knowledge and exact formula for securing a great summer associate position or post-graduate career? Master the substantive and soft skills and competencies you will need during your summer internships to deliver stellar work product, build a fantastic brand, and receive a permanent employment offer? Would you like to be part of an exclusive group of students participating in recruiting opportunities with PracticePro’s law firm partners?

TARGET AUDIENCE

The conference is best suited for 1Ls and 2Ls. Incoming 1Ls, 3Ls, and LLMs may also attend.

CONFERENCE STRUCTURE 

The Conference takes place on Friday, March 8, 2024, from 11 am to 5 pm. It is taught by speakers and instructors from top law firms and corporate legal departments. The Conference concludes with a recruiting reception (5:30 – 7:30 pm CT). 

Conference registrants can also participate in the following training and recruiting opportunities:

• Spring and summer webinar series focused on business frameworks, professional branding, strategic career planning, advanced networking and interviewing techniques, and other topics. The webinars will also be available for on-demand viewing.
• Exclusive resume collection and virtual networking opportunities with our law firm partners.
• Complimentary 1:1 career/pre-OCI coaching session, valued at $385.

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE (all times are in CT)

⏰ 11:00 AM – 12 PM

Welcome & Recruiting Primer

⏰ 12 – 12:30 PM

Lunch & Networking

⏰ 12:30 – 1:30 PM

Getting Hired: Job Search Planning, Interviewing, and Standing Out in the Crowd

⏰ 1:45 – 2:45 PM

Exceeding Expectations: Excellent Work Product and Communication Skills (including virtual considerations this summer)

⏰ 3 – 4 PM

Building Your House on the Rock: Advanced Networking, Client Collaboration & Business Development for Junior Lawyers

⏰ 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

In the Long Run: Developing a Sustainable and Fulfilling Practice

⏰ 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Recruiting Reception

Tuition includes the conference, the summer webinar series, resume collection, and all networking opportunities.

Early registrants also receive a complimentary 50-minute customized career/OCI coaching session, valued at $385.

$249 = Early Registration (ends March 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM, subject to availability)

$349 = Regular Registration 

*Registration opens in December 2024.*

INSTRUCTORS & SPEAKERS

Niki Khoshzamir, PracticePro 

Niki Khoshzamir is the Chief Executive Officer of PracticePro, an EdTech social enterprise that provides skills training, coaching, and scholarships to empower the next generation of diverse attorneys. In her role, she leads all business and legal aspects of the company, including corporate governance, strategic partnerships, IP portfolio strategy, and product development.

Prior to founding PracticePro, Niki was an attorney at the global firms of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr, LLP, and Kirkland & Ellis, LLP. She focused her practice on intellectual property litigation, complex commercial disputes, and trade sanctions compliance. Niki was the first recipient of the firm’s Pickering Fellowship on the West Coast, through which she spearheaded the Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus’ advocacy and community education project on U.S. sanctions.

Niki currently serves on the national advisory board of the Iranian American Bar Association (IABA), and she is the former president of the Northern California Chapter, which she founded in 2006. She also serves on the Leadership Council of Asian Law Caucus. From 2011 to 2017, Niki was a Lecturer at Law at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Prior to her legal career, Niki researched cancer genomics at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and was a research technician at Human Genome Sequencing Center, Baylor College of Medicine.

Niki received her B.S. in Biology, summa cum laude, from Texas Southern University, Juris Doctorate from Berkeley Law, and an Advanced Genomics and Genetics certificate from Stanford School of Medicine. She grew up in Tehran, London, and Vienna and immigrated to the United States on her own at 19 to attend college.

Additional conference instructors and speakers will be announced in January. To get an idea of the caliber of our outstanding speakers, check out last year’s roster below.  

Reem Abdelrazik, Haynes and Boone

Reem Abdelrazik is an associate in the Energy, Power and Natural Resources Practice Group in the Houston office of Haynes Boone, LLP. Ms. Abdelrazik maintains a broad transactional practice that includes energy finance matters, corporate mergers and acquisitions, commodities trading, as well as the acquisition and disposition of oil and gas properties. She has experience representing financial institutions and a variety of companies in a wide range of complex transactions, including reserved based financing for lenders, borrowers and equity sponsors, and as well as both corporate and private equity buyers and sellers in the purchase and sale of equity and assets.

Ms. Abdelrazik received her B.A. from Southern Methodist University and graduated from Georgetown University Law Center.

Krisa Benskin, Latham & Watkins

Krisa Benskin is a counsel at the Houston office of Latham & Watkins LLP. In her practice, Ms. Benskin advises clients with respect to the design and implementation of executive compensation arrangements and the compensation and benefits aspects of transactions. Specifically, Ms. Benskin advises clients on a variety of executive compensation matters, including employment and consulting agreements, golden parachute and severance arrangements, deferred compensation and other nonqualified plans, and equity-based compensation arrangements. She also regularly assists clients in understanding and managing the executive compensation, employee, and benefits plan aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures. Additionally, Ms. Benskin has wide-ranging experience with the design and compliance aspects of retirement and health and welfare plans. She has also guided clients through IRS and DOL audits and investigations related to qualified plans, Affordable Care Act compliance, and payroll taxes, among other issues.

Ms. Benskin received her A.B. from Harvard College and graduated from the University of Texas School of Law.

Valisa Berber-Thayer, Haynes and Boone

Valisa Berber-Thayer is the hiring partner in the Houston office of Haynes and Boone, LLP. Ms. Berber-Thayer’s practice focuses primarily on mergers and acquisitions and general corporate matters, such as corporate formation and governance, and commercial contracts. She has advised public and private clients on both the purchaser and seller side in transactions, ranging from complex cross-border transactions, acquisitions and sales of private companies (including private equity portfolio companies), and corporate reorganizations. Additionally, she has advised distressed companies on the transactional and corporate governance aspects of out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 reorganizations and has advised both debtors and bidders in bankruptcy auctions. Ms. Berber-Thayer has assisted clients in a range of industries, including traditional and renewable energy, manufacturing, commodities, construction, logistics, consulting services, entertainment and technology, and she regularly assists clients with extensive international operations, particularly in Latin America and Europe.

Ms. Berber-Thayer received her B.A. from Rhodes College and graduated from Vanderbilt University Law School.

Tia Daniel, Waste Management (WM)

Tia Daniel is Assistant General Counsel, Corporate Transaction and Chief Privacy Officer Waste Management (WM).

Tia has been with Waste Management since 2007 and is a legal partner to several business units and projects including managing legal issues with Privacy, Intellectual Property, Marketing, Digital, complex transactions and other areas. She is a strong advocate for diversity and was on the Diversity and Inclusion leadership team that created Employee Resource Groups at Waste Management. She has won awards at her company including Circle of Excellence twice for top performers at Waste Management. Prior to WM, Tia worked on corporate matters at Lyndell Chemical Company and Baker Botts LLP.

Tia received her BA from Scripps College in Economics, a Masters in Public Affairs from University of Texas, Austin, and her JD from Harvard Law School, cum laude. She and her husband Timothy live in Pearland and their sons are in college and medical school. She is on the Board of Fort Bend Family Promise Homeless Organization.

 Aileen Ligot Dizon, Ligot Dizon Law Firm, P.C.

Aileen Ligot Dizon is a licensed practicing attorney and community leader. As the founder and managing partner of Ligot Dizon Law Firm, P.C., she handles Family Law, Estate Planning, and Immigration. As a divorce and family attorney, Aileen has helped numerous clients navigate the complications of divorce, marital property division, and Suit Affecting Parent-Child Relationship (SAPCR) such as child custody, visitation, and child support. She understands the emotional and economic implications of these issues and offers compassionate and personal legal representation to her clients, always advocating for their best interests and working towards good resolutions.

Aileen received her Master of Laws from the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and her Master of Education from the University of Houston-Victoria. She obtained her J.D. degree from the University of the Cordilleras School of Law in the Philippines, and a pre-law degree from the University of the Philippines. She is an alumna of Texas Opportunity & Justice Incubator, a flagship program of the State Bar of Texas aimed to bridge the gap between the citizens’ need for justice and our profession’s need for employment opportunities.

Aside from her legal profession, Aileen has held several positions in community organizations, such as the Immediate Past Chair of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Texas – Greater Houston Region and a member of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce. Aileen is also an active member of various professional organizations such as the Asian American Bar Association of Houston, Houston Bar Association, Texas Council on Family Violence Prevention, and the National Filipino American Lawyers Association. She is currently serving as the CEO of Lawin Media Network and myVATA Co. Aileen blends her passion for law, community service, and entrepreneurship.

Joel Glover, Jackson Walker

Joel Glover is a partner in the Houston office of Jackson Walker LLP. Joel is an advocate for clients throughout the United States, working extensively in the areas of financial services, energy and natural resources, media, intellectual property, and entertainment. Joel represents clients in state and federal courts, before administrative agencies, and long before disputes arise. Joel’s focus is the team’s best asset: identify and pursue the client’s ultimate objective, not some circuitous route to resolution. With this in mind, Joel is able to tell the client’s story with a confident and tenacious trial-ready approach from day one. This puts the team in the best position to effectively and efficiently resolve a dispute in the courtroom, at the bargaining table, or before litigation has begun. From West Texas, Joel spent several years as an Army officer at Fort Wainwright, Alaska and served two combat tours in Iraq before becoming a lawyer. Lessons learned from these experiences—leadership, teamwork, integrity, decision-making, preparedness, and adaptability—serve him well as an advocate and as a member of the client’s team.

Joel received his B.S. from the United States Military Academy West Point and graduated from South Texas College of Law Houston.

Alison Ketabchi, Baker Botts

Alison Ketabchi is the Director of Recruiting at Baker Botts. She is responsible for overseeing hiring initiatives and integrating lawyers into the firm. Ms. Ketabchi has over 13 years of experience in the legal industry, and continues to provide thoughtful leadership of the firm’s recruiting team.

Ms. Ketabchi received her B.S. in Applied Learning and Development from the University of Texas at Austin.

Eric Muñoz, Akin Gump

Eric Muñoz is a partner and Chair of the Inclusion Committee in the Houston office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP. In his practice, Mr. Muñoz works with clients regarding debt issuance, maintenance, and repayment. His clients include upstream oil and gas companies, midstream energy companies, renewable energy providers, and small-cap lenders. Mr. Muñoz also advises on debt covenant compliance and transaction structuring. Most recently, he has advised on recapitalizations to reduce debt and extend debt maturities, on structuring and issuing secured and unsecured debt, and on acquisition financing. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Muñoz held management positions in the health care and technology sectors. This background helps him understand strains on management, real-world implications of legal requirements and the impact of budget constraints.

Mr. Muñoz received his B.A. from Stanford University and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center.

 Bianca Roberson, Shell

Bianca Roberson-Johnson is Legal Counsel for Shell in the Supply Chain group. Bianca collaborates with business partners in the drafting and negotiation of contracts for commercial transactions and projects globally. Prior to joining Shell, Bianca worked as an Assistant District Attorney for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for three years. Bianca is a graduate of Thurgood Marshall School of Law where she received a Juris Doctorate in 2013.  Bianca is a member of the Houston Bar Association, the past Executive Director of the Downtown Group, and immediate past -President of the Young Energy Professional Committee. Bianca is the 2023 rceipent of the Institute of Energy Law’s Excellence in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. Bianca is also the Founder of  Women Empowering Women in Life and Law (WE WILL), a non-profit that seeks to access, educate, and inspire high achieving but underserved high school women about careers in law.

Bianca grew up in Texas City, Texas and after graduation attended Howard University in Washington, DC.  After graduating with a BBA in Finance, Bianca worked for two years on the commodities trading floor at Morgan Stanley in New York City.  Bianca is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc – a public service organization. Bianca has also worked extensively with Team in Training, which is the fundraising arm of the Leukemia and Lymphoma. Within her work with TNT, Bianca has completed several triathlons and marathons to raise money to fund cancer research.

Bianca is a true “foodie” and dotes a lot of time chasing her ten-year old daughter, Sloane, six-year-old son, Duke, and four-year old daughter, Ella.

Sang Shin, Jackson Walker

Sang Shin is a partner in the Houston & Austin offices of Jackson Walker LLP. An experienced business immigration attorney, Sang provides creative legal counsel to companies, individuals, investors, and institutions throughout the U.S. and internationally. He has broad experience managing employment-based immigration cases for nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, and immigration planning and compliance programs for entities engaged in a wide range of industries, including: energy, engineering, healthcare institutions, construction, financial services and banking, agriculture, architecture, technology, entertainment, food service, hospitality, retail, education, export and import, and other sectors. Sang handles a wide range of nonimmigrant visas and petitions, and also provides advanced and strategic advice to clients on a variety of immigrant visas and labor certifications for numerous occupations. He frequently works with international companies entering the U.S. market for the first time, helping them navigate the ever-changing U.S. legal landscape. Sang also advises start-ups, entrepreneurs, and high net-worth individuals regarding investment-based U.S. immigration opportunities.

Sang received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina and graduated from Charlotte School of Law.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

L. Renée Lowe, Baker Hughes Company

L. Renée Loweis Sr. Counsel for Privacy and Cybersecurity at Baker Hughes Company, a global energy technology company in Houston. Renée has 24 years of experience as an attorney and has focused her practice on contracts, data protection and privacy, cybersecurity, and intellectual property, and she has vast experience in technology transactions, licensing, and software matters. Renée has lectured extensively and conducted numerous presentations on data privacy, cybersecurity, and intellectual property rights and infringement. 

Before joining Baker Hughes, Renée served as Corporate Counsel for Information Technology and Cybersecurity for Cummins, Inc., a global power technology company; senior counsel for Harris Health System, a fully integrated health care system for Harris County, Texas; and as a litigation attorney for the City of Houston.  Prior to and while attending law school, Renée worked as a social worker for the Texas Department of Aged and Disabled Services. 

A native of Louisiana, Renée attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business and Accounting.  After her first year of college, Renée joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves where she received an Honorable Discharge at the rank of Staff Sergeant after serving six years.  While serving in the Air Force Reserves and attending college, Renée earned an Associates of Applied Science degree in Information Management from the Community College of the Air Force. 

Renée received her law degree from Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and has two Masters of Law degrees in Health Law and in Intellectual Property and Information Law from the University of Houston Law Center.

Renée’s professional career also includes a position as Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston Clear Lake where she teaches a law course.  Renée is certified as a U.S. privacy professional and is active in various professional organizations, including within the local bar association where she has served in various leadership positions.  Renée also served as co-chair of the Houston KnowledgeNet Chapter of the International Association of Privacy Professionals.  Renée is also a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, Houston Association of Women Attorneys, ChIPs │Advancing Women in Technology, Law and Policy, Women in eDiscovery, Women in Security and Privacy, and is a member of the Computer and Technology section of the State Bar of Texas.

Outside of professional interests, Renée is actively involved in community initiatives and has mentored youth with Harris County Child Protective Services, an organization that she is very passionate about.  Renée is an active member of the distinguished sorority of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, where she has served in various leadership roles, including most recently as Chairman of her Chapter’s Risk Management Committee.

When not working, Renée enjoys spending time with her family and friends, fitness, traveling, photography, crafting, and is a makeup enthusiast.  Renée also enjoys interior design and recently launched her business, ElleRenee Interiors.